Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz: A Winning Woman in a Boy's Bastion

Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz was elected to an open seat in the Philadelphia area in 2004 after having spent more than a decade serving Pennsylvanians in the State Senate. Since January 2007, she's been the only Congresswoman serving from the state of Pennsylvania (of 19 total House seats). An early and committed supporter of Senator Hillary Clinton's candidacy, she stepped off the House floor late last week to chat with me! Megan: Congresswoman Schwartz, thanks so much for taking the time to speak with me! I am always curious when talking to women politicians: what got you interested in politics? Congresswoman Schwartz: I always had an interest in electing the right people to office. I had been involved in politics in a number of ways when I was in women's health care and with Women's Way, a coalition of women's organizations that raise money for women's issues. We were able to raise issues with candidates as part of that. And then I went to work for the [Philadelphia] city government as an appointee, but my continuing interest was in making sure women's interests were being heard and represented. So I ran for the state Senate in 1990?there were only two women

Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz was elected to an open seat in the Philadelphia area in 2004 after having spent more than a decade serving Pennsylvanians in the State Senate. Since January 2007, she's been the only Congresswoman serving from the state of Pennsylvania (of 19 total House seats). An early and committed supporter of Senator Hillary Clinton's candidacy, she stepped off the House floor late last week to chat with me!

Megan: Congresswoman Schwartz, thanks so much for taking the time to speak with me! I am always curious when talking to women politicians: what got you interested in politics?

Congresswoman Schwartz: I always had an interest in electing the right people to office. I had been involved in politics in a number of ways when I was in women's health care and with Women's Way, a coalition of women's organizations that raise money for women's issues. We were able to raise issues with candidates as part of that. And then I went to work for the [Philadelphia] city government as an appointee, but my continuing interest was in making sure women's interests were being heard and represented. So I ran for the state Senate in 1990?there were only two women in the State Senate at the time. I ran on a platform of representing women and women's health issues, but also on my ability to serve all of my constituents. I served there for 14 years and I feel like I really made a difference there. One of my accomplishments was being one of the architects of CHIP and on pushing to have certain woman's health issues covered by insurance. Then I ran in 2004 for an open seat in Congress and won.

Megan: What is it like to be the only woman currently representing your (rather large) state in Congress, let alone being one of a relatively small number of women in the House?

Congresswoman Schwartz: For me, one of the the things that has really worked for me, because I came with substantial legislative experience, no one has treated me as very "new." I might be new to Washington, but I'm certainly not new to politics or to knowing how to get things done. My colleagues in the Pennsylvania delegation have always been very welcoming to me.

Speaker Pelosi recognized my skills and abilities fairly early on, and I'm already serving on the Ways and Means Committee in my second term in Congress, which is the most powerful committee in the House. I'm part of the New Democratic Coalition and I chair the Health Task force there. I'm seen as a moderate Democrat here in Washington.

Within the Pennsylvania delegation, it is all male, but it's worked really well. I've created very strong relationships with my colleagues there and across the Congress. I have been very pleased at the great support I've gotten from my female colleagues in helping to see me succeed and in working with me on issues. Speaker Pelosi has been really wonderful at looking around and seeing who has the skills.

I chair the "Women Lead" group at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which raises money from women to support women candidates.

Megan: There's been a lot of discussion among Democrats and in the press about the role of the superdelegates, of which you are one. Some people say they should represent their constituents or their states, while others think they should be able to be more independent. Given the way the race is going, though, neither Hillary Clinton nor Barack Obama can win the nomination without the superdelegates. Do you feel like their role, particularly in terms of Clinton, is being overplayed?

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Congresswoman Schwartz: Neither Clinton or Obama have enough delegates to win the nomination, you're right. So, the superdelegates will play a role in deciding who will be the nominee. We're going to take that very seriously. For myself, I'm backing Hillary Clinton and working to help her win in Pennsylvania. At the end of the next 10 contests, we'll be looking at the popular vote and the delegate count and every thing else and then make our decision. And then, at the end of the day, we'll work hard to support the Democratic nominee, which I expect to be Hillary Clinton

It's very exciting, and I've heard from women of all ages that they are excited, about the experience and leadership Hillary Clinton would bring to the Presidency and about electing the first woman President, and I really think that it would make a difference to have women's issues heard by a woman at the very highest level of government.

Megan: There's been a lot of talk and a lot of polls showing that some Clinton and Obama supporters might not support the other in the general election. You are a Clinton backer?if Obama gets the nomination, will you campaign for him?

Congresswoman Schwartz: Oh, certainly. And, with Clinton, if you listened the the debate last [week], there's no question that she'll campaign hard for a Democratic Presidency regardless. But I think in the end Democrats will come together and I know that I will campaign hard for whomever the nominee is because it's so important for us as women and as Americans to create a new direction for Americans and to put together the solutions for the challenges that are facing us. And I believe that most Democratic voters will do the same.

Megan: I'm sure you've heard this as well, but some women for Hillary are saying that women who are for Obama aren't feminists. How do you feel about that?

Congresswoman Schwartz: Voters make the decisions of who they're going to vote for based on the issues, based on the character of the candidate and a variety of other things. I don't think that a woman who decides to support Obama is any less of a feminist than one who supports Clinton, though obviously I think Clinton is the better candidate.

But, at the end of the day, I think many women are going to support Hillary women because of her skills and experience and positions. The fact that she's a woman is a great plus. That there are women that are supportive of Obama and his positions is a sign that we have two great candidates. I think if Clinton is the nominee, those young people will be excited about her nomination just as much as they'll see how transformative it will be for our country.